by Dr. Kendra O’Hora
Reading Time: 4 minutes
In the vulnerable and expedited journey of healing that my sister was on as a newly sober person, she started mass producing poetry. For real, like writing several books of poetry.
Creative, genius levels.
Let’s Back Up For a Second
OK, here’s the quick catch up – over these last few blogs we’ve explored the WHY behind Wellness & Co.’s brand pivot into serving those who have experienced Narcissistic Abuse, chronic shame, Emotionally Immature Parents, and other antagonistic relationships.
We saw a need in the community, we saw a shift in the culture, and I experienced a profound healing within my own story (Check out Part I, Part II, and Part III). I’m halfway through telling that story and a big piece was my sister getting sober.
In her sobriety, she was getting back to her roots, always an avid reader and writer. So,
She Asked Me to Read Her First Compilation
She asked me to read her first work. A full book of poetry that no one else had read. She printed it off for me and gave it to me when I was like 48-hours postpartum with my second kiddo.
I stuffed it in a drawer and thought: I’ll get to it.
A few nights later I took it out and aspired to read a few poems. Instead, I read the entire book. And then I read it again a few days later.
I was moved. I was shocked. I was drawn in and mesmerized by her ability to articulate her story and our pain.
It gave me the same feeling I had when I first read Educated by Tara Westover, like someone took the awful things they had experienced and found a way to heal through writing and to make that digestible and salient to the reader.
I only wish I could have you read every poem and be transported the way I was. My dream and hope is that someday all of her works will be published because truly, she’s the golden one.
Her Poetry Became My Muse
I consumed her poetry and the dream of creating a therapeutic and healing space where women find their voice, their creativity, their essence, and their identity became my drive. Here’s a taste that she’s given me permission to share…
Secrets From My Childhood
What if I told your secret?
After spending an existence
battling my demons
to keep it
Safe and sound
at the same time as carrying your ego around
Instead of being a child
All so you could sleep peacefully
in a world of a denial
of those trapped inside
your castle of pride
You can call me incredulous
to suggest you’re a narcissist
I’ll admit,
I emulated you to keep me fed
How else would I have survived
with this powder keg inside
A symptom of taking your shame and lies
and making them mine
What if I told your secret?
IHTBYN
There’s all these doors
A secret passageway
Knock in a pattern
A labyrinth in
A puzzle out
I never stood a chance
A child in your maze
Of exploding moments
And gentle slights of hand
Thirty five years
I’ve searched for answers
So many wrong turns
Yet all roads lead back to you
Healing
They don’t tell you
how your body will
be split wide open
to be scraped clean out
They don’t warn you how every surface aches
as you endure a barely survivable pain
They’ll call it healing
I call it,
the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done
My Vision for Wellness & Co. Started to Surface
Everything collided:
my desire to protect my children,
my own healing,
my sisters sobriety, and
the beautiful creativity, tenderness, and hope that emerges when you heal.
And with that, a vision of a future space started to surface. But I made myself a promise, remember?
Do not churn your personal healing journey into a professional success, that’s not fair to Kendra.
So, I kept that vision close to the chest. Allowing myself to honor it, explore it, and share it with my closest people without ever feeling a pressure to DO something with it.
Until now.
Dr. K started Wellness & Co. with the desire to provide top-notch therapy to our local community. Now, Wellness & Co., has therapists, coaches, tutors, and professional organizers – all to provide wrap-around, boutique style care to our clients. Dr. K specializes in couples therapy, healing from infidelity, and supporting individuals through relational transitions.
